Lunch Money

Ignore the mainstream spin – what’s the economy REALLY going to do 2021?

An economic twilight zone is upon us. The RBA says we are out of recession. Corporate insolvencies have declined sharply. Yet unemployment is up sharply year on year, and the RBA has seen the need to set official interest rates at historical lows.   

Something is seriously amiss, and the explanations we are receiving from our politicians and mainstream economists do not sit right. 

So this week we have social media’s go to economics analyst and philosopher - Principal of Digital Finance Analytics, Martin North, who will share his recent consumer and SME research and set this in the context of current monetary policy and future expectations. He says we need to stand back and really understand what is going on…

The case for a December middle-market corporate restructuring spike

The temporary COVID-19 safe harbour defence for directors from civil insolvent trading liability expires on the 31st of December. Ditto the temporary changes to the compliance period for statutory demand and bankruptcy notices. 

But what does that mean exactly? Must the directors of an insolvent business place the company into external administration before 31/12 in order to benefit from these protections? 

There are opposing views in the corporate restructuring community as to what the law says, what the law intends, and what is best for the broader business community. 

Does it even matter to SME owners who are “all in” one way or the other? What about middle-market firms where professional directors have everything to lose? 

Regardless, what will safe harbour look like in the 2021 - and what strategies should businesses start adopting now in preparation? How should “good companies” protecting themselves from “zombie” contagion assuming there is a “wall of insolvencies” coming? What will the role of voluntary administrator be in 2021? 

Join host Nick Samios as he puts these questions to special guests Ginette Muller (Partner at Hall Chadwick) and Warren Jiear (Partner at HWL Ebsworth).

Australian Manufacturing Redux: Who to champion, and how to fund them

This week, Nicholas Samios is joined by David Gandolfo (CAFBA President & Director at Quantum Business Finance) along with Gary Tescher (Managing Partner at Promentor) as they discuss financing the capital equipment needed to ramp up the manufacturing sector. What are the challenges for brokers & their clients? Where do the opportunities lie? Tune in to find out! We also had a special appearance from Tony Sykes (Owner of General Insurance Brokers Australia) on his recent article "How to Protect Your Manufacturing Business from These Important Risks".

Property Development Funding and Corporate Restructuring De-Brief

Tune in as Director & Fund Manager Nicholas Samios joins special guests Michael Corcoran (Director at Solido Capital) and Ryan Eagle (Partner at KPMG Australia). 

The spotlight is on property development and corporate restructuring, with special "Diggers & Dealers" insights from JP Equity Partners' Director Nicholas Brownbill.

Messing with Markets

So far, this year, the Covid crisis has given us interest rates heading for zero and anomalies in asset pricing: from used cars, to luxury property and…stocks? 

How does money printing and near-zero interest rates affect the fundamentals of corporate finance – debt vs. equity and business valuations? Why are luxury properties selling like hot-cakes, and why are used car values so high?

In this week's Lunch Money, we put these questions to Dr Paul Mazzola (Academic at University of Wollongong), along with Ian Hyman OAM (CEO at Hymans Valuers and Auctioneers) - tune in for more!

Is It Insane to Start a Business During Coronavirus?

With unemployment projected to reach crisis levels – can self-employment be part of the solution? 

This week, guest panellists Paul Nicoloau (Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry) and Steven Phelan (Fayetteville State University) share their insights on “boot-strapping” – starting a business with little or no capital. Is there an alternative to welfare? Should the government find ways to better encourage start-ups and encouraging job-creation? 

Don't forget to check out Steven's book "Start-up Stories: Lessons for Everyday Entrepreneurs" - available on Amazon and Kindle!

Family Ties – exploring challenges faced by family businesses in 2020

Family businesses are often riven with entitlement and rivalries at the best of times – how are they coping under the extraordinary health and economic pressures brought by 2020? Is the family a burden in these trying times, or bulwark against forces that may otherwise bring the business asunder?   

How are family businesses dealing with challenges the Covid-19 economy has brought to intergenerational wealth and succession planning? This week, guests Sally Nicholes (Nicholes Family Lawyers) and Mark Robinson (de Vries Tayeh) share their insights. 

Don't forget to check out Sally's insightful podcast at: https://www.nicholeslaw.com.au/podcasts/

Asset-based debt alternatives in 2020 – rising to the challenge?

How are companies navigating the challenges of capital raising to get them through special situations in this Covid-19 recession? What role are asset based lenders playing in making capital available? Uncertainty, debt moratoriums and government financial support packages abound, making the money business challenging on both sides of the desk. 

This week, guest panelists Stephen Mitchell (CEO of Resicom Group & Oak Capital) and Lina Kolomoitseva (Investment Manager at Litigation Capital Management) gives us front-line perspectives.

If you build it, will they pay?

Payment shenanigans, phoenix activity and insolvency: sub-contractors in construction and civil engineering have always been particularly vulnerable to all three. What are the special problems they are facing today given the nations lockdowns, closed borders, insolvent trading moratorium and tightened credit conditions? This week on Lunch Money we focus on the construction industry with special guests Anthony Igra (Founder & Director at Contractors Debt Recovery) and Michael Caspaney (Principal at Menzies Advisory).

Chapter 11, UK style pre-packs, or leave well enough alone?

A surge of corporate collapses is anticipated in Australia when government assistance and debt moratoriums end. So, the government is revisiting the rules of the game – and features of the US-style Chapter 11 are said to be on the table. 

Considering, shouldn’t we also be looking at the way “pre-packs” are done in the UK?  Or is our current system of Voluntary Administration and Safe Harbour working just fine? 

This week we are joined by Carl Gunther (President of TMA Australia) and Paul Apathy (Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills), to share their thoughts on the topic.